Citizen photojournalists snap royalty

Revolutions come in all shapes and media formats. The one transforming international photojournalism is online and earning contributors money. It’s called Demotix. Demotix.com is a citizen-journalism website. Professional and non-professional photographers upload their photographs. If media companies want to buy them, Demotix acts as a go-between to strike the deal. In the new world of photojournalism, the middle man is interactive and virtual. Is Demotix worried about restrictions on their photographers, given calls by the Queen’s lawyers warning the media not to invade the Royal family’s private life? Turi Munthe, CEO of Demotix, told me, “We’re more concerned about more general restrictions on photographers’ work in the UK. A number of our contributors have been stopped and barred from covering events, and a few have had their equipment taken. When privacy is at stake, we’re far more sensitive to the concerns of the subject.” So far, some of the unofficial photos of royalty out and about around the world taken by Demotix’s citizen photojournalists include: